THE opening ceremony of the Olympic Games certainly was an impressive sight - the burning rings, the theatrical parade, the proud athletes and the stunning fireworks.
Just compare it with maimed Angolans, dying Sudanese and Ethiopian babies, and Aids-infested Zimbabweans, and ask yourself how we manage to convince ourselves that we are doing the right thing?
Firstly by making the Olympics such an insanely costly enterprise, and secondly by allowing countries whose populations live worse lives than our animals to appear on the world stage as if nothing was wrong back at home.
Jacques Rogge says "Divisions of race disappear". Tell that to the victims of the Janjaweed, or of Mugabe's soldiers.
Hilary McElroy,
Beckfield Lane,
York.
Updated: 11:29 Tuesday, August 17, 2004
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